What do you drink at the pub/bar/restaurant

[The_Cosworth]

So one thing I have noticed over the last 6-8 months as I have become a bit of a beer person, whether it is from making my own or actually buying good beer, is that at the bar I cant really find anything that I like anymore.

Are there more common beers that aren't terrible to order when you are out with friends at the bar? My usual favorites are whites (blue moon, keiths white, richards white) but recently cant even drink those.

I am curious what you guys consider decent enough to drink. No wrong answers, I know it is all in taste. List up what you drink!

 

[BadDeacon]

Pbr.

 

[pdxal]

In Portland we have a plethora of breweries and pubs that have awesome, if not huge, taplists with tons of good stuff to choose from.
That said, I lean toward seasonals and one-offs from local breweries I haven't tried yet and may not get to drink again.

 

[Piratwolf]

If there's nothing I really like, I order water or coffee. Rather wait til I get home than waste money on beer I don't enjoy. That said, I generally only go to bars I know have beer I like.

 

[feinbera]

Man, you're making feel lucky to live in San Francisco; even the hole-in-the-wall empanada joint has bottles of Anchor Steam or Lagu IPA; the dive bar that is literally falling down (building is visibly canted about five degrees off plumb) has those beers and better on tap.

Specific breweries I respect but don't happen to enjoy myself aside, I'd say my quality cut-off is around Sierra Nevada or so. You can keep your Sammy's and Leinie's and PBR, although I will make an exception for Tsing Tao or Kingfisher if the food's spicy and that's all they got.

 

[Calichusetts]

Something I've never had before. This of course is if I am at a craft bar. If its just a regular restaurant or bar I will go with SN or SA.

 

[Grannyknot]

If at a restaurant, I always drink water, but that's mostly because I'm broke at all times.
I usually only order a beer if they have something special, like a seasonal, a limited release, something on nitro, or cask.

 

[Darwin18]

Depends on how well I've stretched the paycheck, but usually I'll try to order a local brewery. If I'm broke I usually go with Yuengling.

 

[thatjonguy]

A beverage.


Usually water since most handle their beers horribly.

 

[wailingguitar]

I usually just drink diet coke when I am at a restaurant. If I want a beer it is either Sam Adams or a pilsener or a pale ale (thinks Sweetwater 420), something easy drinking that does well with food. I like a good helles with a burger, but nowhere around here has one on tap. I might occasionally get Negra Modelo at a Mexican restaurant. I don't go to a bar that doesn't have beer I would drink, so going down to a BMC type beer is not going to happen... If I am at a bar, I am there for the beer... I would include the things listed above and add IPAs, stouts, etc. Prefer things <7%... <less than 6% even... I want to be able to have a few and not be looped

 

[neo71665]

Bud light

 

[ktblunden]

If a place only has BMC, I'll stick with water or get a liquor-based drink. I'm not willing to compromise. In SoCal there's usually something craft on tap just about everywhere though.

 

[Anelda]

BMC only bar/restaurant: Water
Every other place: Whatever sounds good to me at the time. I like most styles of beer and am not particularly picky. Some days it's a fruity St. Louis Frambroise, others it's Founder's Imperial Stout, or even my ol' stand-by of Jai alai.

Most places I frequent generally have at least one thing on tap or in a bottle that I'll drink.

 

[skitamofo]

As far as standard beer, I will usually get a Rickard's Red. If they have craft beer, it will usually be either local beer or something from Mill St or Hop City.

 

[roastquake]

You may not have it in your area, but here places have been stocking Fat Tire. It got me into craft beer, and I still think it's great. It's a sweet toasty amber ale that's less hopped than most. I go for that and SNPA pretty equally. If it's seriously BMC only, I get yuengling. If they don't have that, I just drink the swill that's cheapest, it all tastes the same

 

[NickTheGreat]

Hopefully try something off the "craft beer menu." And sometimes the "craft beer menu" includes Sam Adams and New Belgium.

But I'm not above drinking Bud Light. I love a good steak but can still eat a hot dog. YMMV

 

[The_Cosworth]

Wow I am really surprised at the Diet Coke/Water responses. Not that some people will only drink water but just at the frequency of it!

Keep it coming, this is really interesting.

 

[tugbucket]

Coors Light has been and will probably always be my defacto go-to beer. Every bar (fr the most part) has it and it's cold as hell. Big plus is when I go to watch a game, it's the cheapest for the 4+ hour haul.

 

[Komocabo]

I live in Eugene, so there is always a Ninkasi, Hop Valley, Steelhead, Oakshire, or Bone Yard on tap. Have yet to find a bar without a decent to great IPA on tap. I love living in the Pacific NW.

 

[cbruce]

I live in Eugene, so there is always a Ninkasi, Hop Valley, Steelhead, Oakshire, or Bone Yard on tap. Have yet to find a bar without a decent to great IPA on tap. I love living in the Pacific NW.

As a fellow Oregonian and former Springtucky resident +1 on the oakshire and ninkasi! Or anything from 10 barrel. Between those three there's always at least one on tap lol

 

[Komocabo]

As a fellow Oregonian and former Springtucky resident +1 on the oakshire and ninkasi! Or anything from 10 barrel. Between those three there's always at least one on tap lol

I'm with ya! 10 barrel's Apocalypse IPA is my favorite at the moment. I really like Slayer from Ninkasi in the winter... delicious double-alt. Oregon beers are just damn good.

 

[The_Cosworth]

I live in Eugene, so there is always a Ninkasi, Hop Valley, Steelhead, Oakshire, or Bone Yard on tap. Have yet to find a bar without a decent to great IPA on tap. I love living in the Pacific NW.

I love Eugene, my brother and I are big ducks fans so we come down once every couple years.

I tried to convince him to go there for school. He has to do his maters soon so I am hoping he may still go.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

If there's something I haven't had before I'll usually give it a try...still diving into the craft beer world. My typical go to is Yuengling if I've tried everything else.
I usually stay away from BMC (just doesn't do much for me anymore) but there's a restaurant around here that has a pint of Bud Light for a buck during happy hour. Hard to pass that up.

 

[Matthias]

As a fellow Oregonian and former Springtucky resident +1 on the oakshire and ninkasi! Or anything from 10 barrel. Between those three there's always at least one on tap lol

Former resident of both, now in iowa. Didn't realize anyone else called it springtucky... Makes me sad when I think that when I lived in Oregon, I just was not into beer...

More on subject, I aim for stuff I haven't had when I am out. If nothing new, I drink what the regulars ate drinking, because then I know the keg is changed every so often!

 

[dyqik]

Usually a craft beer. My local Indian has Dogfish Head 90 min for under 5 bucks.

At even the worst places, there'll be Harpoon IPA. Even at gigs in the TD Garden or other corporate venues.

 

[Cider123]

If I'm eating dinner, then I usually will get something on the light side. A summer ale, a blue moon, etc. I'll try something seasonal also.
Tomorrow we will take the kids for pizza after trick or treating. That place only serves BMC and Sam Adams (at a premium), so I'll have a coors light with pizza, who cares.

The other day I had a porter at my favorite brewpub. Their beers are great, but this porter just didn't do it for me at all. It had a slight smoky flavor that just put me off, but live and learn.

 

[whoaru99]

Never can tell for sure...

Might be a big name "craft" if they have something like that. Might be a Grain Belt Premium, might be a Bud Light, might be a Coors Light, never a Miller Lite, but might be a Miller High Life bottle, or might be a Crown on the rocks, or a Screwdriver, or...or...or.

If I'm at a bar/liquor store, I will find something with alcohol to drink, unless I don't really want to drink. But, then, I probably won't be at the bar. I can drink water or Coke anywhere.

 

[jnr1005]

IDK...it gets harder and harder. I'm picky when I'm out because craft beer even on tap is like $6.75 and up at our two local bars that carry a decent selection. I have a hard time justifying that when I can buy a 6er for a few bucks more. I usually drink whatever they are offering for the "steal the glass" night or I go with Yungling or SA to try to save some $. I find I would rather drink my own beer...

 

[roastquake]

If I'm eating dinner, then I usually will get something on the light side. A summer ale, a blue moon, etc. I'll try something seasonal also.
Tomorrow we will take the kids for pizza after trick or treating. That place only serves BMC and Sam Adams (at a premium), so I'll have a coors light with pizza, who cares.

The other day I had a porter at my favorite brewpub. Their beers are great, but this porter just didn't do it for me at all. It had a slight smoky flavor that just put me off, but live and learn.

I actually think BMC is the best thing to have with pizza! Or a Coke, something fizzy, like Coors Light!

 

[JonM]

I'm with the folks who have good breweries in town. In Milwaukee, I can almost always count on finding Lakefront and Sprecher beers on tap wherever I go and, if not on tap, then certainly in bottles.

 

[Hello]

Gin and juice.

But really, if there is no beer I really like or feel like I want, I just order soda or water. Like others, I won't waste my money on drinking a beer I don't particularly want. I'd rather not drink or drink when I get home.

 

[Eugenio]

For me its usually a craft beer, specially any farmhouse ales if they have one. Other wise I go with a Cuba Libre or water.

 

[Brewtah]

I have the same issues. In Utah only bottled beer can be above 4% abv. Even though most restaurants and bars have Squatters, Unita etc. On tap it is usually unsatisfying. Brew pubs and some restaurants/bars have bottles but they are expensive.
The Bayou is an out of this world experience with their expansive beer menu. I suggest any brewer or beer lover to visit the Bayou restsurant/bar while in Salt Lake.

 

[Whattawort]

If it's a BMC only place, I'll go with Yuengling or PBR (seriously, it's better than BMC to me) if I know I'm going to be there a while. Otherwise, I'll get something local.

 

[seanybubbles]

If the place only has crap on tap I get a coke. I find 8$ for a pint of Guinness a ripoff.

 

[roastquake]

If it's a BMC only place, I'll go with Yuengling or PBR (seriously, it's better than BMC to me) if I know I'm going to be there a while. Otherwise, I'll get something local.

I'm glad Yuengling is getting love. I consider it a craft beer at "domestic" price. Sometimes I drink it just because I want to, I also enjoy their "black and tan" more so than the Pottsville porter

 

[hellawaits77]

I'll never order a beer I don't like just for the sake of drinking. I'm not particularly picky at a restaurant. Even if a particular establishment doesn't have a great selection, most will at least have Sam Adams Boston Lager or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and I have no problem with either of those.

Most bars in my area don't have the best selection (one used to have Sn Torpedo - which I sessioned w/, unfortunately was always slammed hungover the next day). One bar has SNPA on draft which I'll drink if I'm there, and another has Saranac Pale Ale. If not, it's usually Stella or Heineken. Neither are great beers, but are so much better IMO than BMC stuff.

 

[NickTheGreat]

If it's a BMC only place, I'll go with Yuengling or PBR (seriously, it's better than BMC to me) if I know I'm going to be there a while. Otherwise, I'll get something local.

I was traveling with some work guys and the restaurant had PBR on tap for $1 or something crazy. It was kinda a game of chicken sort of thing. "I'm not scared to drink PBR." "I'm not either" ...

But it really wasn't half bad. I almost bought some a month or so ago, but ended up getting something from a microbrewery.

 

[Matthias]

I was traveling with some work guys and the restaurant had PBR on tap for $1 or something crazy. It was kinda a game of chicken sort of thing. "I'm not scared to drink PBR." "I'm not either" ...

But it really wasn't half bad. I almost bought some a month or so ago, but ended up getting something from a microbrewery.

Traveling for work and going to a bar can get out of hand very quickly. I know from experience. 4 of us ended up having to explain a $973 bar receipt that the guy in charge decided to expense. Crazy crazy night....

Good job choosing micro over PBR

 

[strambo]

If they don't have a decent micro...then ice tea. If I really want a beer, I'll do Sam Adams, last time I got a free Sam Adams glass with my Boston Lager. That made it worth it. I was traveling and the glass came in handy to pour my bottled micros into back at the hotel.